Kamen Rider Stone
by Eternal Storyteller
Summary: When a dark evil raises its head to the light, a warrior must rise to the challenge and fight against this threat to protect humanity from extinction. The realm of light will be guarded by this warrior, a knight of great power and skill. He is called many names to both friend and foe, but there is one consistent name: The unwavering warrior, Kamen Rider Stone.
1. Chapter 1: The White Knight

The world is a bright and happy place, filled to the brim with hope and creativity. However, even where there is the brightest light, there is an equally dark shadow. For humanity, that shadow was known as the Wasure. They were determined to snuff out the light of the world, and tried a great many times. But the Wasure were not all filled with darkness. A single spark of light among the darkness of the Wasure rose up to help humanity defend itself. This Wasure gave their life so the human race could stand a fighting chance. From this, a warrior was born, one who became the sentinel of mankind. Due to his unmoving nature, he was appropriately named, Stone.

Kamen Rider Stone

Cue Opening Theme: Star Ring Child - Aimer

The small city woke to a peaceful day, adding to a peaceful month. The early morning light shone down upon the residents of the city, almost as if protecting them from the receding night. The peaceful morning was broken by a loud cry of despair and defeat.

"How do you do it, Dad?" a teenage girl moaned, her chin resting on a counter, the remnants of a chess game off to the side, "That's win number 15 for you at this point!"

"Try 16," her father smirked, casually washing dishes in the nearby sink, "I don't do anything, Kate. Chess takes years to master, and only after you have mastered it, then will you be able to beat me." Kate moaned again, running a hand through her short black hair. She glanced up at her father, her dark blue eyes studying him.

"Let's go again!" she stated confidently, reaching for the game board again. Her father laughed, and took the seat across from her.

"It'll end the same way," he joked, setting up the black pieces on his side of the board, "but, I suppose I'll play one more game." Kate smirked, and just as she grabbed the discarded white king, a female voice echoed through the house briefly.

"Richard? Could you give me a hand with something?" Kate's father gave a soft sigh, giving Kate a wink, and got up from his chair. Kate sighed and began to study the small piece in her hand.

"Why is it," she wondered aloud, "Such an important piece is so weak?"

(KRS)

A few miles away, a male figure rested on the roof of a restaurant, his hands resting behind his head. His eyes were closed, and a blissful smile decorated his face. The wind blew over him, his dark blue hair waving slightly with the wind. A shadow approached him, leaning over him. He slowly pried open one eye, and saw a girl with black hair leaning over him.

"Leave me alone, Opal," he muttered, "I'm still on break," the girl, Opal, growled, and drilled her foot into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and forcing him to sit up. As he coughed, regaining his breath, Opal wiped imaginary dust off of her white blouse, a smug smile on her face.

"If you're seriously trying to keep this job, then you can't take a break during the busiest hour and leave it to me!" she yelled at him, to which he winced and rubbed his poor ear, "I'm surprised the manager hasn't fired us yet!" the male grumbled under his breath, unconsciously rubbing the gauntlet that covered his forearm. "James are you even listening to me?!" Opal demanded.

"Yeah, yeah," James muttered, forcing himself to his feet, "You're a slave driver, you know that?"

"No complaining!" Opal ordered, pushing him towards the door that led back inside, "My last partner had no complaints about how our partnership worked!"

"That was what, some thousand years ago?" James yawned, "Sorry, but us humans have gotten so much lazier since then, or is that not apparent?" Opal growled, and ground her teeth against one another. James yawned again, and begrudgingly took a red apron, with some faded logo emblazoned on the fabric.

"I could have chosen anyone to partner with," Opal stated, forcing James to stop and look at her, "But I picked you. I can see the potential in you, even if you can't. You're strong, James. You just need to care." She opened her mouth to say more, but was shocked into silence as a familiar feeling swept through her being.

"Where?" James said, his tone deathly serious. He tore off the ridiculous article of clothing and threw a white vest over the black dress shirt he was wearing.

"Downstairs," Opal said, still shell-shocked, "We need to move," James gave her no argument, instead holding out the arm with the gauntlet on it. Opal touched the faded opal gemstone, and her form began to glow with a bright white light. When it faded, the opal was a brilliant white, instead of the lifeless color it had been before.

"Let's go, partner," James stated, jumping down the middle of the stairwell, not caring about the drop. The only thing going through his mind was 'what could make Opal that scared?'

(KRS)

In a shadowed room very far underground, a young king sat on his throne, his chin lazily propped on his left hand, his right hand idly drumming its fingers on the armrest of his throne. He too had felt the energy. It was very potent, and extremely strong. An energy like that could make him even stronger. Not that he needed to be. As he was, he could easily destroy any threat to him, or put the rest of his own species to rest. He didn't care which.

"My King," an older voice said from behind him, "Would it not be prudent to send one of our scouts to investigate this interesting event?" the King considered this for a moment. He would have no problem going to the surface and killing as many of the pathetic humans as he could, but then he was not some mindless monster. A scout could simply survey the situation and report back, and if it was worth his time, he might make a small trip to the human world.

"For once, you have a point, Nori," the King stated, "Send your scout, and ensure that if he fails to bring us enough intelligence, he never sees the light of the surface ever again." Nori stepped from the shadows, giving his King a low bow.

"I will send the best scout we have, my lord," he said, the bow blocking the cunning smirk on his face. He rose, and his face became a mask of obedience, "He will report back by the end of the day," The King grunted in approval, and turned his head to the side, staring into the shadows. It didn't matter if they succeeded or failed. He'd get the power either way.

)KRS)

Kate sat alone in a booth in her favorite restaurant, Dimitri's Diner. She had been having the lousiest day. For starters, her parents had realized they had run out of oil, so she had been forced to take a freezing cold shower that morning. She shivered as she remembered the ice-cold feeling of the water.

Then, as if to make matters worse, her friends had bailed on their "girls' day out," stating that they had been called into work at the last second. She wasn't sure if they were lying or not. So now, she was stuck with two options: either have the day out without her friends, or just go home. She sighed, and let her head hit the tabletop. She couldn't think on an empty stomach.

The sound of footsteps reached her ear, and she saw a waiter approaching. She took note of his oddly-colored blue hair, and the same colored eyes, but said nothing. "Rough day?" he asked. Kate sighed, and rested her chin on the table this time.

"You have no idea," she said, "First thing in the morning, the oil's gone, leaving me to wake up with a shower that reached dangerous levels of cold, then my friends bail on me. And I had this whole day planned out too!" The waiter chuckled, setting the plate in his hand down.

"Maybe this'll cheer you up," he said, prompting her to gaze at the contents of the plate. Her eyes widened. It was a slice of her favorite cheesecake, strawberry with just a hint of chocolate to add just a bit more variety to the flavor. She didn't even realize she was drooling at the sight.

"How did you-?" she turned to the waiter, only to see him in the clutches of an admittedly pretty girl who had him by the collar.

"James!" she roared, pulling him closer, "That was my slice! The manager was saving that for me!" the now identified James raised his hands in mock surrender, a sheepish smile on his face. Kate deadpanned, watching the two interact. They were almost like brother and sister.

Man how she wanted a sibling.

"Calm down, Opal. Calm down," James pleaded, trying to lessen the girls rage. Kate slowly reached for the slice of cake, but Opal's head whipped around, her eyes boring into hers, sending an unspoken message; touch the cake, I take your hand. Kate wisely withdrew her hand.

"You know how much I love my sweets, James!" Opal growled, "Why are you giving it to a complete stranger?" She released the poor boy, letting him fall to the floor, snatching up the cake and growling at Kate. Kate was beginning to think that this girl was certifiably insane. James's hand gripped the edge of the table, and he pulled himself up, his blue hair tossed and messy.

"Opal," he stated, easing himself into the booth opposite Kate, "That is the piece that the manager gave to me, since he knew this girl was a regular. Yours is in the fridge in back," Opal froze, her face becoming slightly red with embarrassment in each passing second. Hiding her face with her bangs, she slowly placed the plate back in front of Kate and sat next to James, who patted her back gently.

"Um…" Kate said, "What was that?" James gave her a smile that clearly tried to apologize for the actions of his sister (?).

"Sorry about that," he said, "Opal is very… passionate about her sweets. The only tooth in her mouth is a sweet tooth," Kate nodded in understanding. A faint voice yelled from the kitchen, and James sighed. "Come on, Opal," he grunted, "Time to get back to work," The still embarrassed Opal rose from her position and seemingly drifted back to the kitchen, "Sorry again," James said, "Oh, and no charge for the cake. It's on the house." He walked off, his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune that Kate didn't recognize. She watched him leave, a small smile reaching her face.

"What a nice guy," she said softly, placing a piece of the pastry in her mouth, savoring every second the taste lingered in her mouth.

(KRS)

James and Opal watched Kate from the kitchen, Opal's eyes fixed on the bracelet that dangled from her left wrist. Her eyes were wide with shock and worry, a million thoughts running through her head at once. James looked on, with his trademark relaxed expression.

"That's… That's not possible," Opal muttered, "She never made it from the building. Even the professor couldn't find her," James hummed in approval and leaned forward.

"Whatever the case," he said, "That one is going to lead to a lot of trouble for her if we don't do anything. I'll take a look around the restaurant, see if anything is close enough to cause trouble." Opal numbly nodded as James left, her mind thinking of dozens of possibilities that could end with that one ending up in Kate's hands.

(KRS)

Across the street from the diner, in the shadow-covered alley that separated two large buildings, a male figure looked through the window, pleased at his find. He had not expected to find the girl so easily, but the energy that she emitted was so potent, he had tracked her to this exact location from across the city. He licked his lips in anticipation. If he brought her back in one piece, his King would reward him generously. Maybe even let him have a taste of her energy.

"Not a good idea pal," a male voice sounded from behind him, "She's not on the menu. Might I interest you in one of our patent KNUCKLE SANDWICHES?!" the man turned just in time to catch a right hook that slammed into his jaw, sending him sprawling into the back of the alley. Before he had time to recover, a foot shot forward into his stomach, sending him to the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

"Did you have to include the food pun?" a female voice asked, rather irritably.

"Do we really have time to discuss this?" the male voice moaned, "Look, Wasure, the point is, get out of here before we crack your skull open and use it as a bowl," The pair of figures stepped into the light, revealing themselves to be James and Opal. James raised his left arm, and Opal slapped the gemstone that decorated the surface, the light from the fusion blinding the man they had attacked.

" **W-what?!** " he shouted, " **Bishop never said anything about this!** " his form rippled, like the asphalt on a hot summer day, and when the energy dispersed, a monster stood in his place. Its head resembled a bat, with pointed ears and beady eyes. The body was that of a normal human, but it was covered in fur, a pair of ragged shorts resting on its legs. The arms were that of bat wings, with a pair of hands replacing the talons on each wing. Its feet bore talons that looked sharp as knives, and glinted in the afternoon light. The monster screeched at the shining James, who brought his arm down as the glow faded.

" **You… what are you?** " The bat monster asked.

"Bat Wasure, He Who Stalks the Shadows," James stated, his voice now sounding like a combination of his and Opal's voices, "Leave this place or be destroyed," The Bat Wasure screeched at them yet again, launching a pair of tornadoes from his wing/arms. They hit the ground in front of James, kicking up a wall of dust. The Wasure smirked, thinking that James had been destroyed, and turned to leave. However, a burst of fire shot from the cloud of dust, striking him in the back, and making him stumble. He turned back, and saw a new figure as the smoke dispersed.

The figure that now stood in James's place was clad in very strange armor. His body was covered by a black bodysuit that hugged his frame, loose enough to allow movement. His head was covered in a white hood resting over a black helmet, a pair of red eyes very visible on the helmet. His body was clad in a white squire-like uniform, with a slight "skirt" reaching to his mid thighs. His chest was covered by silver armor that slightly covered his shoulders. White gloves covered his hands, with white boots protecting his legs up, reaching up to his knees. Around his waist a silver belt rested, a large black buckle making up the front of the belt. A short sword was sheathed on his left hip.

The now armored James cracked his neck, and let his left hand rest on his sword. "Beat it," he said, his voice leaving no room for debate, "Now." The Wasure took a step back slightly, but grit its teeth and threw itself towards the armored figure, hoping to pin him down for a moment. He got within a foot of Stone before his form blurred and the Wasure lost sight of him. He landed where James had just been, and screamed in pain as a fountain of pale green blood erupted from its chest.

" **WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!** " It howled, turning around to see Stone facing the opposite direction, his sword drawn and clenched in his right hand. The Wasure sent a pair of tornadoes at him again, but he jumped to a fire escape on one of the buildings. He casually leaned against the railing, like he was looking off a bridge at a river below.

"I'm called many things," he said cryptically, "But, I guess you can call me Stone."

(KRS)

The King paced in front of his scout, who was currently holding his chest in pain, the blood around the wound having dried. "He called himself what, again?" he said, all too calmly. The scout gulped, fearing his fate.

"Stone, my Lord," Bat said, keeping his voice even, "He also said that while others cannot, he will stand against you. He even called you by your Sacred Name!" King froze at that, his eyes widening, "He knew mine as well! What should I do, my Lord? I cannot get close to the subject with-" his speech was cut off as the King's hand lashed out and wrapped itself around his throat.

"You will follow these orders to the letter," the King growled, his voice dangerously low, "This information does NOT leave this room. You will not give the rest of our race a reason to desert their people. You will go to Bishop for medical treatment, and then do whatever is necessary to obtain the subject. If HE comes around again, you had best hope he kills you, for if you return empty-handed again, I most certainly will," The Bat Wasure nodded rapidly, and the King released him. Bat left the throne room as fast as his legs could carry him. King watched him go and scoffed in annoyance.

"Was that wise, Majesty?" a rough and gravelly voice asked from the shadows, "If he does not return, and gives Stone our location…" the voice left the possibility in the air, and the King grunted.

"He will die, either at my hand, or at Stone's," the King stated, turning to the figure standing in the shadows, "For now, make sure no word of a new Stone reaches the rest of our _people_ ," the shadowed figure nodded, and disappeared. King growled in annoyance and returned to his throne. He stared at the throne for a moment, before resting his hand on the back of the massive chair, a somewhat sorrowful look in his eyes.

"I have a duty to make sure this world belongs to our people," he muttered, almost like he was trying to convince himself of the fact, and sat back on the throne, unaware of the figure that had heard his lament hiding in the shadows.

(KRS)

James slumped onto the couch that he and Opal had managed to rent with the meager pay that came with working at that diner. He had screwed up that fight, and let the Bat Wasure get away. He cursed himself for not being more careful. He was not very passionate about things, be he was damn sure that no one would ever suffer at the hands of those monsters.

"You know he's going to try again," Opal stated. James looked behind him as saw Opal, standing in the door frame to her bedroom, "They're not going to stop until we do something about that aura she's emitting with that Stone Spirit," James sighed, but nodded yes.

"I know, I know," he muttered, his right hand gripping his left arm, "We'll figure something out, right?" Opal sighed, walking over to her partner, and letting her arms drape over his shoulders and onto his chest. He stiffened as she rested her chin on his head.

"You always do," she said softly. They stayed that way for a while, just enjoying each other's company. After some time, James felt Opal slump onto his shoulders, and knew she had fallen asleep.

"You may be a weird ghost-spirit thing," he muttered softly, moving her to the couch, "But you're as human as they come, partner," he rummaged around in the ottoman that rested in the center of the room, and pulled out one of the few blankets they owned, draping it over Opal's sleeping figure. He smiled at her, and lightly brushed a hair out of her face. "Sweet dreams, Opal."

(KRS)

Kate lay on her bed, facing the ceiling. She held her left arm in front of her face, gazing at the jade charm that hung from the silver chain. She knew that it was a gift from her mother, but beyond that, she had no clue what it was. She considered it a constant reminder that her mother was always watching over her.

She sighed, and let her arm fall to her side, gazing out the window. Her foster parents were great, there was no argument on that, but… Sometimes she wished she had a little brother, someone she could help with their homework after a long day at school. Her foster parents couldn't give her that. At least, they didn't want to. Not yet.

An image of James popped into her mind, and she smiled. He had been so nice to her, and had expected nothing in return. Someone like that was hard to find these days. And he wasn't too hard on the eyes either. She felt her cheeks heat up, and shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her head. She didn't need or want a relationship right now. Besides, who was the girl with him?

The girl… Kate prided herself on knowing every person in Caister Falls, but she had never heard of someone named Opal. She mentally shrugged and turned over, resting her cheek on the pillow. She could think about it in the morning.

(KRS)

The next morning came too quickly, and as the city went about its daily routine, they took no notice of the young man and girl zooming through the streets on a white and red motorcycle. James was the driver, Opal the girl hanging onto him for dear life as he sped towards his destination. They pulled into the parking lot of Dimitri's Diner. It was their day off, but they liked to stop by, and see if there was anything the other staff needed help with.

James took off his helmet, and patted his custom Honda CB500X lovingly, Opal wrenching off her helmet, and dashing to the nearest trash can, and depositing the contents of her stomach within.

"I still don't understand why you love driving that death machine so fast," Opal complained, her face somewhat pale. James gave a short bark of laughter, and swung his leg over the bike.

"It feels awesome with the wind rushing past me," he answered, sliding his helmet onto one of the mirrors, and removing the key from the ignition, "You never complained about it before,"

"That was because I was-" Opal's retort was interrupted as her hands flew to her mouth and she leaned over the trash can once again. James let out an amused chuckle, and waited for Opal to finish. He let his gaze drift to the sky, and noticed a small black object flying through the blue. He narrowed his eyes, but could not see whatever it was any clearer. He shrugged and braced himself for the inevitable nagging that would come from Opal.

(KRS)

The Bat Wasure let out a relieved breath as the human turned away. He really did not want to go another round with that Stone character unless truly necessary. His keen vision spotted his target leave her dwelling, and he flew after her in pursuit. He was not going to lose this time.

He landed on the rooftop of a building that overlook the local college that she attended, and reverted back to his human form in a ripple of darkness. He would wait for his moment, then catch the girl and bring her back to the King. Stone would not be able to be in two places at once.

(KRS)

James sneezed, and wiped under his nose. Opal took notice of this, but he gave her a look that said that he was alright. Someone was just talking about him again.

(KRS)

Kate left the college campus after a long day of classes, ready to go back to home and take a nice, long nap. It was a Friday, so she didn't have to worry about waking up early tomorrow. She had a shift at Dimitri's on Saturday night, but that wasn't until later in the day. She let out a content sigh, and relaxed. The sun was already going down on the horizon, and darkness was making many shadows that much darker.

The sound of flapping wings reached her ears, and she looked up. A pair of pigeons flew past, making her smile and relax once again. She took no notice of the man tailing her. The same one that Stone had fought the previous day. She walked past an alley, and the man seeing it as his chance. He ran up behind her, grabbed her and covered her mouth so she couldn't scream, and pulled her into the alley.

Kate didn't go easily, driving her elbow repeatedly into the disguised Wasure's stomach. She raised her heel and drove it onto the man's foot, causing him to give a brief cry of pain and in his surprise release her. She ran for the opening of the alley, but with a surprising burst of speed, the man speed towards her. He grabbed her by her book bag, and threw her back into the alley. Kate landed on a wood barrier, and while she fell, the man sped over to her again, this time grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up.

"You little bitch!" he growled, "The King wanted you alive," his arm rippled with dark energy, centering around his hand, "He didn't say about needing an arm!" he raised his energy covered hand in a chopping motion, and Kate closed her eyes.

' _Someone… Anyone… help me…'_ she pleaded in her mind. As if in response to her cry for help, the jade gem on her bracelet began to glow with a brilliant light. The man moved his raised hand to block the bright light, and was knocked back by a pulse of green energy. Kate fell to the ground, coughing as air began to re-enter her lungs. She raised her arm to gaze at the green gem on her bracelet, as the glow began to fade.

"What the hell was…?" the man said in awe, but was interrupted by a shoe-covered foot crashing into his face. He howled in pain and clutched at his jaw, looking at his assailant, "Oh god, not you again!" Kate looked forward to see James and Opal standing there, having come to her rescue. Opal went over to Kate and knelt down.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently. Kate numbly nodded, still trying to figure out the glowing bracelet, "Good. Now, stay back. James and I got this." She returned to James's side, who smirked and held his left arm out. Kate took notice of the gauntlet that rested on his forearm, wondering how in the world she had missed it the first time.

"Let's go, partner," James stated, closing his eyes. Opal rolled her eyes, but slapped the gem on the gauntlet, her form glowing and spiraling into the gem. With a flash of light, the dull gray turned to a brilliant white. James smirked, opening his eyes. White irises now replaced the blue ones that Kate had seen the previous day. A white ring glowed around his waist, forming the belt that had rested on Stone's waist the day before. The opal on the gauntlet glowed, and a small object floated from the gem. It took form of a chess piece, a pawn specifically.

"What the hell?" Kate muttered, her mind having given up on trying to rationalize what she was seeing.

"This is the last time you show your face here, Wasure," James combined voice stated, his right hand raising and closing around the now formed chess piece, "And by our combined soul, we shall purge you from it," He threw the chess piece into the sky, letting out a slow breath.

"Let's…"

The piece came back down, and James caught it in his hand, inserting it into an opening on the top of the belt.

"Henshin!"

A projection of a massive pawn piece appeared a few inches above his head, and dropped onto him, completely encasing his body. The projection began to spin as white outlines of armor portions formed on his body, and in a flash of light and energy, the armor of Stone formed around him, his red eyes flashing from under his hood.

 **CHANGE!**

Stone cracked his knuckles as the man who had tried to hurt Kate let out a feral roar and coated his entire body with black energy. It erupted from him with a burst of energy, revealing him to be the Bat Wasure, and he threw a pair of hurricanes at Stone, hoping to knock him off balance. Stone was unfazed by this, and drew the sword at his side, and slashed horizontally in front of him, a line of fire erupting from the sword. The two elements met, and exploded into black smoke.

Stone jumped through the smoke, his right fist drawn back for a punch. The Bat Wasure crossed its arms in front of itself, and managed to catch the brunt of the punch on his forearms/forewings. The force behind the blow, however, was enough to push him back a few inches. Stone didn't let up, and swept his leg towards his opponents, throwing the Wasure's legs out from beneath its body.

The Wasure hit the ground, and rolled to the side as a punch came down towards its chest, putting a small hole in the pavement where it had been laying not a minute before. "Hold still, dammit!" Stone growled, trying to pull his fist from the cracked pavement. The Wasure took advantage of the situation, and tackled Stone, grabbing him in its foot-claws. He pulled Stone from the ground, Stone's fist becoming dislodged from the ground in the process, and brought him up a few feet, only to throw him back down with the force of a speeding car. Stone moaned as tiny stars and swords danced around his field of vision.

The Bat Wasure took advantage of his enemy's disorientation, and took to the air, grabbing Kate in his foot-claws. Kate screamed in terror as the Bat Wasure flew out of the alley, well above Stone. "Shit!" Stone cursed, shaking the stars out of his vision and running after them. He threw a small white-hot fireball that flew wide, causing him to click his tongue in irritation. He ran to his bike, which had been waiting right outside the alley, and quickly mounted his trusty vehicle. He keyed the engine and gunned the ignition. It wasn't too hard to follow them, due to Kate's screaming.

He followed them through the streets, weaving through the late-day rush hour traffic. He gunned the engine as the flying monster disappeared from sight, speeding up. As he approached a building, he pulled his bike onto one wheel, flames roaring from the exhaust pipe. The front wheel connected with the side of the building, and he gunned the throttle, beginning to drive up the side of the building. People on the street leaned out their car windows and gaped at the spectacle. After all, it wasn't every day one could see someone drive up the side of a building.

As he reached the roof of the building, he planted the front wheel on the concrete, and sped towards the edge. As the Bat Wasure was about to pass underneath him, he slammed the brakes of his front wheel, launching himself off the bike and into the air, falling towards the flying Wasure.

He tackled the Bat Wasure midair, making both him and the Wasure begin the long tumble to the ground. Kate screamed in terror as she fell, covering her face with her hands. She felt the talons of the monster leave her shoulders, and a hand grab the back of her shirt, and her descent slow. She opened her eyes to see the ground approaching slower, a small crowd of people gathering underneath her. She turned and looked above her, and saw Stone holding the back of her shirt, his sword digging into the side of the building, slowing their fall enough so they wouldn't be hurt.

"Just what the hell are you?" Kate asked, more in awe than in fear. Stone let out a short laugh as they landed safely, the Bat Wasure falling into the middle of the street, the hood of a car being demolished by the action.

"I'm what people call a Kamen Rider," he said, straightening Kate's ruffled shirt, "And I'm here to make sure the people of this city are safe. And I'll give my life to make it happen," the Bat Wasure rose from the car it had crashed into and screeched at Stone. He flicked the switch on the side of the driver again, and the piece flew back out, the surface turning a dark red color. Stone turned his head to Kate. "Don't blink," he said, turning back to the weakened Bat Wasure, and re-slotting the piece into the belt.

 **CAPTURE!**

His foot began to glow with white energy, taking the shape of flames that curled around his foot, almost like a twister. He began to run towards the Wasure, who threw a pair of tornadoes at him, hoping to stop him. Stone would not be deterred, and jumped into the air just before the wind projectiles would have connected with his body, his charging power reaching its peak. Performing a somersault midair, he stuck out his right foot, and let out a battle cry as his kick connected with the Wasure.

The poor monster screamed in pain as the energy from the foot entered his body, his molecules erupting from the rapid intake of energy. Stone landed behind the overloading monster as it disappeared in a white explosion, the insignia of a pawn appearing above the destroyed monster. Unseen to him, the battered and burned body of the Wasure crawled towards a manhole. With a great grunt of effort, he lifted the circular slab of metal and disappeared into the sewers.

Stone rose from his kneeling position, turning around to assemble his handiwork. The assembled crowd cheered as his bike drove up on its own, waiting for its master. He swung his leg over the machine, giving one last look to Kate, he reeved the motor and sped off, Kate's gaze following him until he was out of sight.

(KRS)

Kate burst into Dimitri's Diner, the shift manager jolting up in surprise.

"Easy there, Kate," he said, as Kate's hands fell to her knees, her breath ragged, "Did you run all the way here?" Kate held up a hand, and the manager waited patiently for her to catch her breath. She took a big gulp of air and stood up.

"Are James and Opal here?" she asked, "I need to talk to them. Now." The manager gave her an odd look, and disappeared into the back. She waited at the bar, impatiently tapping her foot and tapping her fingers against the polymer surface.

"Looking for us?" a voice said from behind her, with a finger lightly poking her in the back. She yelped and jumped a few feet in the air. She whirled around, her face red with anger and embarrassment, to see James standing there, with Opal leaning on the door frame behind him. She clenched her hands into fists. Her arm reeled back, and a resounding slap was heard throughout the diner.

"OW, OW, OW!" James shouted, falling to the ground clutching his cheek, "What the hell was that for?!"

"Do not push me right now!" Kate yelled at him, "Outside, now! I need answers!" She stormed out the front door, grabbing Opal as she passed her, much to the girl's annoyance. James gave the shift manager a sorry smile and exited the building.

Kate was waiting for him, a glare very clearly aimed at him. He gave her an uneasy smile, and shared a look with Opal. The silence continued for a few minutes, before Kate burst it like a bubble.

"WELL?!" she demanded, causing Opal and James to jump back in fear, "I want answers, damn it!"

"Okay, okay," James said, trying to calm her down, "But, please, calm down first,"

"I'M PERFECTLY CALM!" Kate shouted, anger radiating off of her. James ran and hid behind Opal.

"Screw that," he muttered, "You explain it," Opal gulped and looked to Kate, who had a murderous expression on her face.

' _Of all the people to share our secret with,_ ' she muttered internally, ' _we have to share it with a girl who may kill us if she doesn't get the right answers. Fan-tastic.'_

 _(KRS)_

King growled as he heard the news, his eyes beginning to glow a dangerous light. "What do you mean, he was defeated?" he demanded, the messenger in front of him cowering away.

"I-I-I mean, my King, that his body has been covered in third degree burns," his messenger squeaked out, "I'm afraid he's going to need some time to recover," The king growled, and waved his hand, giving him permission to leave. The messenger sped from the room quickly, not wanting to be in the presence of the angry king.

"Damn that Stone…" he growled, toying with a gauntlet that covered his right arm, "Why must he get in my way?!" he let out a beastly roar, and threw a fireball in the direction of the messenger. A yelp of surprise and pain was heard, and a small smirk made its way to his face.

"No matter," he said, sitting back on his throne, "I'll let Nori do something interesting with him. The plan can still proceed." He raised his gauntlet, the light shining off a red gemstone set in the surface, "Next time I'll just send someone stronger. He can't beat us all." He let out a dark laugh, confident in the plans he had made.


	2. Chapter 2: The Shadow Demons

James ran through the alley, vaulting himself over a low wooden fence. What was he running from? A very angry Kate. She attempted to follow his lead over the wooden fence, but jumped too low and tripped over the low barrier, being forced to curl into a roll, or slam face-first into the concrete.

"Dammit, get back here!" she yelled, getting back on her feet. James jumped over a dumpster blocking his way, turning midair to face Kate. He gave her a playful smirk and childishly stuck his tongue out at her as he fell, falling out of sight behind the dumpster. She growled in anger and punched the wood. She immediately regretted her choice, and jumped back, waving her hand frantically in an effort to nullify the pain shooting up her arm.

"He's good, I'll give him that," she muttered angrily, nursing her hand, "But I will be getting answers. Whether they like it or not,"

Kamen Rider Stone

Cue Opening Theme: Star Ring Child - Aimer

James opened the door to his apartment, and locked the door behind him. The opal on his bracelet glowed, and his partner jumped from the crystal in an orb of light. She flashed for a moment, and reverted to her human form, looking exhausted.

"Do you realize how much energy I just burnt making you fast enough to stay ahead of her?" she panted. James shrugged, and made his way to the couch. He dropped himself into the soft fabric as Opal rested her hands on her knees, trying to get her breathing back to normal. Grabbing the remote, James switched the TV on, a news bulletin scrolling across the screen as he did so.

"And so, the masked figure who has remained unnamed since his arrival, defeated yet another monster that had popped up today," The newscaster stated, the footage of Stone fighting the Bat Wasure playing behind her, "While most of the populous see him as a hero, there are those who have their doubts about this armored being," James sighed and switched off the TV. He knew there were people who didn't like him. Hell, more than once he'd been egged by an angry citizen after finishing a Wasure, demanding that he leave the city and never return.

He could easily do that, but then the Wasure would overtake the city in less than a week. With all their scouts and warriors that came to this city, James was surprised they hadn't tried to invade yet.

"At the door," Opal stated, having regained her breath, with a fierce banging coming from the door not a moment later.

"Dammit James, I know you're in there!" Kate shouted, her voice muffled through the door, "Open the door, or I'll get the building manager, and he'll open it for me!" James grumbled something incoherently about women and their tenacity before rising from the couch and going to the door.

"Hold your horses!" he called out as Kate banged on the door again. He opened the door to see a very angry Kate, her arms crossed and foot idly tapping the ground.

"You can't get away now!" she shouted, pointing her finger at James, "So now-" he cut her off, closing the door in her face. She was shocked into silence, but that shock was quickly replaced by rage. "Open the damn door!" she shouted, smashing her fist into the surface of the wood again and again.

"Stop hitting my door!" James shouted from inside, "It was hard enough to find this place, don't destroy the damn door!"

"Then open it so I stop hitting it!" Kate shouted, rearing back for a larger knock. As she was about to hit the door, it creaked open, and James face appeared where the door had once been. Her eyes widened and she watched in horror as her fist plowed into James's nose, a sickening crack echoing through the hallway. He flew backwards, blood flowing from his nose, smashing into the far wall, and sliding to the floor.

"Ow…" he muttered, reaching to his nose. Kate ran into the room, horrified at what she had done.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" she repeated, "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you would actually open it that time!"

"Don't worry, its fine," James said, his voice slightly off due to his nose injury, "You just dislocated it. Give me a second," he reached up, gripping his nose. With a slight hesitation, he twisted his nose back to the proper position, and gave a grunt of pain. His arm shot out, putting a hole through the drywall of the wall that faced the alley that separated his building and another.

"Oops…" he stated, "Sorry Opal. I did it again," Opal just sighed, and pinched the bridge between her eyes. Kate just stared at him in awe. He had relocated his nose with such minimal pain. If she had not seen him kill a monster a few hours ago, that would have been the strangest thing she had seen all day.

"Okay, putting aside what just happened," Kate said as Opal went to shut the door, which had been open the entire time, "Who or what are you two? You certainly aren't human."

"Well, I'm human," James stated, standing up and dusting off his barely bruised knuckles, "Opal is a different story." Kate looked at Opal, who turned into a ball of light and flew around the room for a moment, before reforming in the same spot she had once stood.

"I'm technically a construct of energy that makes it easier for me to interact with humans like you," Opal said, her voice betraying a slight smugness, "Since this moron wears my base body," she thrust her thumb at James, who was in their kitchen, trying to clean the blood from his formerly dislocated nose from his face, "he uses my power as a conduit when he uses that armor you saw. Or, as we call it, the Stone armor," James glared at Opal briefly for the 'moron' comment, before returning to his face.

"Why stone?" Kate asked, suddenly curious. Opal shrugged.

"Beats me," she said, "that was what it was called when we were partnered. Something about 'an unwavering guardian' and other nonsense," Kate stared at Opal, who just shrugged again.

"Either way," James said, moving back into the main area, "We're here to make sure any Wasure, like that monster earlier, don't cause trouble when they reach the surface. Most of them are under the impression that humanity is just an energy source to feed off of." He gave a light sigh, "They put those who just want to live in peace to shame."

(KRS)

The Bishop of the Wasure paced around his lab, the burned Bat Wasure laying on the table in the middle of the room. Ragged breaths escaped his form every few seconds. Bishop was surprised Bat was still alive, with the amount of raw power that had surged through his body.

"What to do with you?" he mused, stopping at the Bat Wasure's side. The burned figure tried to turn its head, an action that only caused it further pain. Bishop gazed at the table that lay next to the patient, and spotted a syringe that made him smile in a dark fashion.

"Well, my friend," he chuckled, picking up the syringe, flicking the side of the small vial, the black liquid inside bubbling dangerously, "It seems that you shall be the latest in my search to create the perfect Wasure wielding dark energy," he plunged the needle into the burned Bat's chest, and pressed the plunger all the ways down. He removed the needle as the spasms began.

All the Wasure in the surrounding area winced at the ear-piercing scream that came from Bishop's laboratory, but kept going about their daily business. Best not to interfere. Many who entered the lab never came back.

(KRS)

James sighed as he sat on his couch, watching the two girls who were currently in his kitchen. Opal was trying to make sure that Kate knew not to take her sweets. That girl held very few things in such a high regard. Her sweets being at the top of her list of about three things she really cared about.

"Look, I'm not going to take anything!" Kate protested, holding up a slice of a chocolate cheesecake James had bought for Opal a week ago. Frankly he was surprised it was still there at all, "Like this; I don't even like cheesecake!" Opal was a blur as she snatched the pastry from Kate's hand, replacing it back in the fridge and closing it in a single motion, hissing at the girl for good measure. "Are you going to help me at all?!" Kate yelled at James.

"Hey, it was a relatively normal day until you showed up!" James said, waving his hand at her, his other reaching for the remote, "You're on your own. I'm not stupid enough to get between Opal and her sweets."

Kate was about to protest, but her eyes shrunk as she saw what was happening on the news. She bolted from the kitchen, and stopped behind the couch, her breathing becoming shallow and rapid. "No no no no no NO!" she screamed, running for the door.

"Whoa, there!" James shouted, grabbing her arm as she tried to claw the door open, "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"That's where my foster parents live!" Kate screamed, "I need to get there, I need to help them!"

"You won't be much help without us," Opal stated, leaning against the wall behind the pair, "The house is being attacked by a Wasure," Kate doubled her efforts in response, making James's job of holding her back even more difficult.

"Opal, we can't let this go unpunished," James stated, his voice taking a dangerous tone. His partner nodded, her form turning into a ball of energy, and flying to his bracer. She entered the gemstone, and the males' eyes became the stark white that signified his fusion with Opal.

"Kate," his now duel voice said, "We'll take you there, but you stay on the sidelines. We've never seen something like this. Understand?" Finally having tired herself out, Kate nodded, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

(KRS)

The white and red motorcycle tore down the road, the driver none other than James, with Kate clinging onto him for both support and dear life. She was scared; scared that she might lose the only family she had. She buried her face into the back of James's vest, the tears falling silently onto the white fabric.

She felt the bike come to a stop, and James tear the helmet from his head. He lightly tapped Kate and she leaned back, allowing him to swing his leg over the bike. He approached the house, which had attracted no crowd surprisingly, and rested a hand over his heart. He could smell the burning flesh.

They were too late.

He let out a savage growl, his anger reaching its peak.

" _James, MOVE!_ " Opal shouted in his mind, and he dove forward, a shadowed figure landing behind him. He turned and saw the new black form of the Bat Wasure. He raised an eyebrow; was this the same Wasure he had fought the previous day? The aura felt the same, but it was also very off at the same time.

The Bat Wasure had turned a pitch black, void of any colors. His back was littered with a series of bone-white spikes, razor sharp and rather intimidating. The wings on the arms had been replaced pair of newer ones sprouting from its back, with painful sounding cracking and squishing. The fingers and toes grown bone-white claws and talons, a single white bone-spike protruding from the stomach. The eyes glowed a brilliant white.

" ** _Well, well,_** " The mutated Bat chuckled, " ** _You fell for it, Stone. I thought you would have known this was a trap. Guess you aren't as smart as I thought._** " He laughed, and James grit his teeth in anger.

"Keep laughing, asshole," he growled in his duel voice, "See if you're still laughing when you're lying six feet under!" A ring of white glowed around his waist, his driver materializing a second later. He sidestepped the Bat Wasure's charge and threw the white pawn piece into the air. "Let's…"

He caught the piece and slammed it into his driver. "Henshin," he snarled, his voice holding nothing but malice for the monster that had taken Kate's family from her.

 **CHANGE!**

The white armor of Stone formed around him, and he wasted no time in engulfing his hands in flames and bashing the Wasure in the stomach, following with an uppercut to the chin.

The monster slid back a few feet, his head slowly lowering to stare at the armor-clad human again. Wiping a dribble of dull gray blood from the corner of his mouth, he gave a rumble of dark laughter, and the fire that burned around James's hands burned even brighter, showing his rage. He let out a roar as he charged once again, but the Shadow Bat had other plans.

He opened his mouth, a high-pitched screech erupting from its throat as wave after wave of sonic force slammed into Stone, forcing him backwards little by little. "Damn you!" Stone shouted, refusing to give up, even as sparks flew from his armor. He took a few strained steps, but fell to his knees, his armor smoking as the Wasure let up its assault.

Giving a discontent grunt in Stone's direction, Bat turned to Kate. " ** _This time, you're coming with me!_** " he growled, his clawed hand reaching for her. She fell backwards and tried to crawl away from the monster that had murdered her family.

"Get away!" she shouted, raising her hands in front of her face. The Wasure just laughed and grabbed her wrist. Kate's vision blurred, from tears or from something else she could tell. A loud roar erupted from James, and he rose to his full stature, white flames of aura curling off his form.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" James roared, an explosion of white aura erupting from him. His eyes glowed red underneath his hood, and he flew towards the Wasure, his hand burning with white-hot flames. The mutated Bat turned just in time to get the flaming fist crash into the side of his face. The monster flew back, sliding across the ground for a few feet.

A green aura burst from James arm, a green rook piece appearing over his hand. He slammed his hand onto his driver's lever, ejecting the white pawn piece. Said piece disappeared into white particles, and he slammed the new piece into the buckle, a green rook symbol appearing in front of the driver.

 **ROOK!**

A green projection of a rook rose from the ground, hardening into a rock-like solid. The Wasure chuckled darkly and raised its right claw, his hand covered in dark energy. He swung his arm at the rook structure, the statue being destroyed in an explosion of rubble and darkness. He grunted, and turned away.

"Don't turn your back on me!" James roared, slamming his boot-clad feet into the head of the Wasure. The creature flew towards the burning remains of Kate's home, destroying one of the remaining walls, falling into the burning interior. Kate slowly turned her head to the newly-armored Stone, her mind muddled from fear, sadness and anger.

Stone's hood had become green in color, his helmet taking on a gray color. His upper body was covered in the same armor as his previous form, but it did not go past the belt. His chest was covered in a bulkier variant of his first form, but it had no shoulder pads. His arms and legs, as well as his hips, were covered in a gray bodysuit, and his wrists and ankles had gained small bits of green armor. A small green cape that ended at his waist was connected to his hood. His lower arms were covered in gauntlets that resembled rook pieces, his gloves reinforced with armor.

He rose from his kneeling position, his eyes glowing. The Wasure grasped the edge of the hole he had created, the wood splintering under his grip. He locked onto the new Stone, noticing the change in attire. " ** _It doesn't matter what form you take, Stone!_** " he snarled, rearing back, " ** _I'll still blow you away!_** " he let out one of his sonic screeches, the rings from the shockwaves flying towards him.

Stone did not move, instead facing the attack head-on. Sparks flew from his armor, but this time there were no grunts of pain. He took a step towards the monster, slowly and deliberately. Bat tilted his head quizzically, and threw a pair of darkness-enhanced hurricanes at the form. James simply took another step and batted the wind attacks away.

"W… what?" Kate muttered, surprised at the change in power. The mutated Wasure spread its wings, intending to take flight, but in a surprising burst of speed, James ran forward, his right hand wrapping around Bat's neck. The creature struggled to draw breath, but James wouldn't have it.

He slammed Bat into the ground, raising him only to smash him down again. Ignoring Opals' cries of protest in the back of his mind. He threw the Wasure into the air, the creature so dazed he forgot he had wings. As he fell back towards the enraged James, James drew back an aura covered fist, and threw it forward just as the Wasure reached his eye level. The monster was thrown into the street, a small crater forming under his body.

James slowly walked towards him, the eyes of his helmet seemingly aflame. To the Wasure, he looked like a demon from hell. But James didn't care. As far as he was concerned, this _monster_ in front of him didn't deserve mercy, pity, or any form of kindness.

"Maggots like you…," James growled, his voice reaching primal levels, "Don't deserve to draw breath. You, who would rob someone of their family…" his fist tightened, "Go back to whatever you monsters call hell!" Kate watched the brutal display, wondering how James, someone who had been so cheery just a few hours prior, could become this merciless.

James threw the Wasure against the small wall that surrounded Kate's former home, the monster slowly slumping to the ground. The rook piece was ejected from the driver, turning from a forest-green to a bright red. He grabbed it and slammed it back into the Driver.

 **CAPTURE!**

His fists began to glow a bright green, as the Wasure began to stand again. James slammed his fists into the ground, and cracks spread like water towards Bat. James raised his left hand, palm towards the sky, towards the downed Wasure. In a single motion, he closed his hand into a fist. Dirt and stone rose around Bat, and solidified, becoming a coffin made out of the earth. James lowered his hand, and the earthen coffin slowly descended back into the ground, the muffled screams of the Wasure emitting from the coffin.

James turned away from the burial, and ejected the Soul Piece from the driver, the armor almost melting away. His eyes were full of rage, and there were tears rolling down the left side of his face. "James…?" Kate asked tentatively. He was still plenty angry, but now it was less so.

"Take whatever time you need," he muttered, returning to his parked bike. Kate watched him go, and turned back to the house. Something caught the twilight sun within the house, and Kate looked towards the glare. The light was reflecting off of something silver. Something just out of sight. As she looked closer, she held her hands over her mouth, sobs pouring from her mouth. The light was glaring off her step-fathers wedding band.

(KRS)

Another failure. The Bishop of the Wasure was not pleased.

He was grateful for the data his test subject had provided, no doubt. But, still… The failure outweighed the usefulness of the data. His Majesty would not be pleased. He growled, and swiped his hand across his lab table, sending a beaker and a rack of test tubes flying towards a wall, shattering into tiny transparent pieces.

"Damn it all…" he muttered, taking a syringe of the dark liquid he had used on the Bat Wasure. He had been working at it, and it was nearly perfect. All it needed was a little more work. "The serum is usable, but is missing something…" he thought aloud, "Perhaps the answer might lie with that Stone fellow…" a smile crept over his face, "Perhaps he can be of use after all…" He chuckled darkly, gazing at the pure darkness in his hand.

(KRS)

James looked at the girl who was asleep on his couch. Kate had been through so much in the span of a day. Her foster parents, dead. Her home, burned to the ground. She had no one left. He gazed out the window, the rain pattering against the glass. He had never known his family, but he didn't want anyone else to feel how he felt.

He wasn't fast enough this time. He had always been able to find the Wasure before they did any real damage. But this one… had gone too far. His hand curled into a fist as flashes of a fire echoed through his mind, along with a strange-sounding howl and pain. Lots of pain.

"Well, she's finally asleep," Opal muttered, walking over to the boy, shaking him out of thought, "I'm not surprised that she cried so much. If I found out that one of my siblings had been killed…" she gripped her sides and shook in fear, "I understand why she's acting the way she is…" James grunted in response, turning to stare out the window.

For a while, the pair stood there, watching the rain fall outside the window. It was as if the world was crying at the events from the day. It was somewhat poetic, at least, to James. After a while, Opal decided to break the silence.

"So, what do we do with her?" James tensed up at the question. Opal caught on, and waved her hands rapidly, "I mean, I'm not going to throw her out onto the streets! I just think she should be with someone she knows better than us. Come one, this girl just met us earlier today! Maybe another waitress at the diner? One of her school friends?"

"Don't bother," James said, turning back to the window, "She doesn't know any of the other waitresses that well, and her _friends_ didn't return her calls. I don't think she has anyone left…" A tense silence fell in the apartment. The only sound was the steady breathing of Kate from the couch.

"I guess she can bunk with me then," Opal said softly, "It's the least we can do." James nodded in agreement. At least she wouldn't be left alone in the rain. He stared into the darkness of Opals' room and sighed.

"You don't think she'll try to do… anything… do you?" James asked, his voice cracking momentarily.

"I don't know," Opal said, giving her partner a pointed glare, "People do crazy things after this kind of loss. Remember what you tried to do?" She turned and went back to Kate's side, sitting down next to her, and gently raising the sleeping girls head into her lap.

James gazed out the window, wishing he could forget. He glanced down at his hand, seeing it shaking from the stress of the day. He cursed, and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his vest.

Pulling a single stick of the cancerous stress-reliever from the pack, he rested it between his lips. Lighting the small stick, he took a long drag from the cigarette, and blew out a stream of smoke, watching the gray mist get sucked into the vent above him. He closed his eyes as he took another drag, trying to let his mind go blank.

Sleep would not come easily that night.


End file.
